Wanderers captain Mitchell Duke believes Saturday night’s Sydney Derby will again set the standard for the Hyundai A-League.
The in-form attacker said the Wanderers fans will be the team’s 12th man and he can’t wait to experience the amazing atmosphere that will be generated by them at Bankwest Stadium.
“Definitely, there is a big buzz around the game,” said Duke.
“I’m quite active on social media and I can see, even from the neutrals, they are buzzing for this game even though they don’t support either of us.
“That’s awesome for the league. It is important to get that amazing atmosphere and the big crowds that the RBB used to create in the old days at Parramatta.
“That’s why it is important to be back at home at Bankwest because they can be that extra man to push us through when the going gets tough.
“They get loud and crazy and can push us through those last 10 minutes if the game is tight.
“Now we are back at Bankwest, it is going to be even better for the atmosphere. I hope they keep growing and set the standard for the A-League.”
SCHWEGLER AND MEIER INFLUENCE A KEY
While he admitted the opposition have dominated the Derby in recent times, Duke is buoyed by the fact there is new found spirit and quality in the Wanderers side and that they are ready to turn things around.
“They have dominated the Derby the last few years, but if we approach and focus on ourselves with our quality and do our jobs I think we can take over and get a result,” Duke added.
“We have real quality with players like Pirmin (Schwegler) and Alex (Meier) who have unbelievable resumes and a lot of experience under their belt.
“They have really helped to guide the young boys. We have quite a youthful team so that brings the level of experience for us to get better as well.”
